11 Spring Street

The mysterious former carriage and horse stable at 11 Spring Street has been (virtually) unoccupied for decades. Click here for more photos. Built in 1888, its most famous owner was John Simpson who purchased the building in the 1970s. An eccentric inventor, Simpson lived in the massive 5 story building alone with his bizarre mechanical gadgets. In 2003 the building was sold to Lachlan Murdoch, son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, with the intention of converting it into a spectacular single family residence. Left to languish again, the building was again sold, this time to developers Caroline Cummings and Bob Elias - it will be converted to luxury condominiums. During all this time, graffiti accumulated on the exterior walls. The place became "known worldwide as a mecca for street artists, some of whom have covered its sooty facade with a pastiche of graffiti and poster art." The new owners wanted to pay tribute to the street art, so they arranged a gala "grand closing" with the Wooster Collective, called Wooster on Spring. Forty five of the world's best street artists were invited to cover the walls of all five floors with artwork. After two months, the show was opened to the public for three days - December 15, 16 and 17, after which all the art was to be destroyed. It was an unbelievable mob scene - lines to get in going around a full city block with a 3-4 hour wait. The Gothamist did an extensive job of covering this story and I recommend this link (and the various links there) to see photos of the interior art ...